SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Smokies send Stars away, 6-0

Published on May 16, 2006 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE, Tenn.- Smokies starting pitcher Ross Ohlendorf notched his first victory at the Double-A level on Tuesday afternoon with a 6-0 win over Huntsville despite entering the game with a 3.12 ERA in his seven previous starts.

The 23-year old pitcher from Austin, Texas threw a complete game of shutout baseball for Tennessee while allowing just 7 hits and adding 5 strikeouts to bring his total to 35 on the 2006 season. Ohlendorf attended Princeton before being drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 4th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. His masterful performance on Tuesday lowered his ERA to 2.58 on the season; Ohlendorf joined Micah Owings and Steven Jackson as starters on the Smokies young pitching staff whose ERA is less than 3.00 this year.

Complimenting Ohlendorf's fine pitching performance was an offensive outburst from the Tennessee pitcher that included a 2-for-4 day that included his first professional home run.

The Smokies wasted no time putting their first run on the board in the first inning. Second baseman Danny Richar led off the inning with a single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch; Richar finished the game going 4-for-5 to raise his average to .336 on the season. Richar moved over to third base on a fielder's choice from centerfielder Jerry Gil before Jesus Cota brought him home one batter later to give the Smokies the 1-0 advantage.

Tennessee struck again in the fifth inning thanks to hot bat of Richar. After getting a one-out single, Richar stole second and Gil brought him home on a line drive double to right field. Two batters later, third baseman Jamie D'Antona slapped a single down the line to left field to score Gil and put Tennessee up 3-0 heading into the sixth inning.

Ohlendorf added to his own cause in the seventh inning, leading off with a single and eventually scoring on a D'Antona double that scored both himself and Richar who had collected his fourth hit of the game earlier in the inning. Catcher Phil Avlas brought D'Antona home on a single to cap the scoring for the inning and give the Smokies a 6-0 cushion.

But the Texas native saved his biggest highlight one inning later in the eighth when he knocked an offering from Huntsville's Andy Pratt over the right field wall to close out the scoring and give the Smokies a 7-0 win.

Tennessee travels to Zebulon, North Carolina on Wednesday to take on the Carolina Mudcats (Florida Marlins) before returning home on Tuesday, May 23 to begin a five-game series against the Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds) for ticket information, call 286-2300 or visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.

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Southern League Stories from May 16, 2006


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